to spend Christmas gift money on item of luxury/frivialry?

[Multigrain]

For the last 5 or more years, my parents (separated so separate gift), and my pils have given us a family cheque for Christmas.

All friends and other family members buy just for our kids, as out of most of them we are the only one with children, so we buy for them the adults, and they give to our kids.

So other than the cheques we receive no other presents.

In previous years, we've paid the cheques into our account, and bought the children gifts from their share of the money, and the rest of the money has just remained in our account, and has been used for bills, car tax etc throughout the year along with the rest of the money in our account.

Now my father has said that this year will be the last year he'll be giving us a cheque as he retires next year and won't be able to afford it, so will just be giving presents to our children - absolutely understand and completely reasonable.

PILs are in poor health and are very elderly, so the likelihood it will be many years if even one more, for a gift from them is unlikely.

AIBU to think this year rather than just put the money in our account, and spend it on necessity stuff, that we'll find the money for anyway, just cutting back etc, my dh and I should have a present, something that we wouldn't buy for ourselves from our paypackets, but use the gift money to buy ourselves a gift?

[fedupofnamechanging]

I don't see why not, so long as you are not leaving yourselves short of money for something essential. If your families were to buy you an actual present, I doubt it would be car tax, so it seems reasonable to buy a proper gift with the money.

[molly3478]

If you can afford it you should do it, my mum always has a go at me for spending my xmas and bday money on things like the council tax but I still do it

[molly3478]

sorry clicked too early there! If I could afford not to do that then I would get stuff for myself

[blackeyedsanta]

get something for yourselves that will last and you can remember. i am wondering what to get myself in a similar situation.